Uptown

Uptown is a mix of young, old, singles and married couples (with and without children). The multi-residential buildings are growing, but single-family homes and large houses converted into four-plex apartments still are more the norm. More of the young professionals live closer to downtown but condo buildings are cropping up even farther east toward City Park along 17^th and 18^th Avenues.

Restaurant Row is what 17^th Avenue is euphemistically called. It starts with Steuben’s at 523 E. 17^th Ave., an upscale diner with a fabulous menu of comfort food (fried chicken, burgers, Maine lobster roll and daily specials). Along the way there are several gay bars (Hamburger Mary’s and J.R.’s), the unheralded but always outstanding Avenue Grill (one of the area’s longstanding eateries with a super bar) and another neighborhood favorite, Strings, owned by Denver humanitarian and renowned restaurateur Noel Cunningham. There are too many others to mention along the way, especially west of Park Avenue West toward downtown.

According to city records, the average rental price is $479. We suspect that will spike significantly in the 2010 census. Many Uptown residents work downtown, an easy walk or bike ride to their offices. Rents range from $750 to as much as $3,000 for some of the newer units. Many of the new condo structures are rentals only. Home prices in the neighborhood averaged $157,000 in 1998.  Because of continued construction and remodeled units, there are a lot of choices. Prices ranges from $200,000-plus to more than $1 million for the luxury units. Many of the condos near City Park are going in the higher range.

There are several pay parking lots and street spots, but if you rent in Uptown, your best bet may be getting your own parking spot. Traffic flow is good because of one-way, east-west streets (17^th, 18^th, 19 and 20^th  avenues). These streets are usually three lanes, so there is plenty of maneuverability. Denver’s bus service, RTD, has a couple of bus lines intersecting the area, including the east- and west-bound 20 line. Light rail stops at 20^th and Welton, on the edge of Uptown and goes to Five Points or connects with all the downtown and suburban lines.

Find a broker or an apartment search group to help you find a rental property. The better area is west of Park Avenue West, but there are some good properties to closer you get to City Park. Walking the neighborhood during the day may be one way to start. There are plenty of coffee shops, boutiques and restaurants in the area from 20^th to 17^th west of Park Avenue. Ask waiters, baristas and shop owners for advice; you’ll find many of these people work and live in Uptown.

Benedict Fountain and Eastside Park is one spot to take your dog where Logan dead ends at 20^th Avenue. There are plenty of wide sidewalks between 17^th and 20^th Avenues on the (newer) west side of Uptown. City Park, just more than a mile from Uptown’s epicenter, is Denver’s largest park with an 18-hole golf course, soccer and baseball fields, picnic areas, lakes and plenty of room to roam. Cheesman Park is about a mile south with the northern entrance at 13^th Avenue and Franklin.

Downtown is only a few blocks away on Uptown’s western edge. You can find hundreds of options from theater, movies, bars and restaurants. The Avenue Theater at 417 E. 17^th Avenue presents off-the-wall shows, improvisational skits and some Broadway productions. City Park is not only the home of a golf course, but the Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. The latter has an IMAX theater and has hosted many significant exhibits, including Body Worlds. Ben Franklin and the Titanic. For music lovers, there are countless options along Colfax Ave., including the Bluebird Theatre, Ogden Theatre and Fillmore Auditorium (the largest of the three venues).

17^th Avenue is an obvious choice for its many restaurants and bars. For eclectic tastes, try Colfax. As Playboy Magazine once called it, “the longest, wickedest street in America,” Colfax is where you can find everything from the homeless, drug addicts, prostitutes, teens looking for a buzz, young professionals, gay cowboys and blue-collar types seeking a cold beer. Bars like Sancho’s Broken Arrow, Charlie’s (for gay cowboys), the Irish Snug, the Squire Lounge and the Bank Bar & Grill. In the newer area of west Uptown, you can check out University of Denver professor and artist Lawrence Argent’s project, Pillows. The public art work completed in 2000 (pictured above) is made from Colorado marble and sits in the courtyard of the Post condos at 20^th and Pennsylvania.

Safeway at 20^th and Park Avenue West is the one supermarket serving Uptown. For upscale meats, fish, poultry and specialty foods, there’s Marczyk Fine Foods on 17^th. For fitness bugs Genesis Fitness, at Colfax and Lafayette, has a 2,700-square-foot facility that caters to the indoor and outdoor active person. Many of the newer Uptown condos and apartments offer their own fitness centers as well. Many amenities, from banks, florists, dry cleaners, specialty shops and boutiques line on 17^th, 18^th and Colfax avenues.

Wyman Elementary, Morey Middle School and East High School cater to residents in Uptown. Uptown is a mix of African-Americans, Hispanic and white families, so there is quite a diversity at all of the schools in the area. Morey and East have been rated highly among its Denver brethren. Easily accessible to downtown and City Park, Uptown has several options for families from educational to kid-friendly fun.